


Auld Lang Syne

by agrippinato



Category: Never Have I Ever (TV)
Genre: And yet, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, In a way, Romance, there is no reason for this to exist, this is exceptionally self indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:33:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24582370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agrippinato/pseuds/agrippinato
Summary: She stares at him, taking him in, then says, “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and the thing is, I love you.”---It's the big I love you scene from When Harry Met Sally, but with Ben and Devi, because I saw this movie recently and of course this is the only way to react.
Relationships: Ben Gross/Devi Vishwakumar
Comments: 10
Kudos: 70





	Auld Lang Syne

Ben was leaving. His colleague, Ray, the only other person he knew at this party, had attached himself to a girl in a low cut dress and lipstick which stuck to her champagne flute, who giggled when he said things that weren’t funny. Ben had excused himself from the two of them, brushing off Ray’s half-hearted protests ( _come on, man, at least wait til midnight_ ), and was pushing through a dancefloor filled with couples pressed together in anticipation for the countdown to the new year.

Usually he enjoyed New Year’s Eve, he really did. This year though, the bodies crowding up to him, the smell of sweat masked badly by champagne, were just making him feel nauseous. The loud chatter and shrieks of laughter were just making him feel sad. So, uncharacteristically sober, he was leaving. He was going to get a long night of blissful sleep, and feel better in the morning. He was a resilient guy.

He hadn’t, however, counted on God himself clearly having a personal vendetta against him. Which he clearly fucking had, because walking through the entrance the hall was an obviously out of breath Devi Vishwakumar.

Devi Vishwakumar, who had been a thorn in his side since he was five years old. Devi Vishwakumar, who of all people had been doing an internship at the same firm as him, and had slowly become his most trusted friend. Devi Vishwakumar, whose brilliance burned so bright he sometimes forgot how to breathe. Devi Vishwakumar, who had said the exact same thing after having sex with him two months ago as she had once after kissing him next to a beach in Malibu, before her mother whisked her off to India ( _That was a mistake, we shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry_ ).

And now she was here, in a t-shirt and sweatpants. And now she was walking straight towards him.

“Ben,” she’s still panting slightly. She was just running.

“What are you doing here, Devi?” His voice is curt.

She stares at him, taking him in, then says, “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and the thing is, I love you.”

Ben presses his lips together, and for a horrible moment he thinks he might cry. Instead he folds his arms tightly and in a voice much steadier than he feels, says, “You’ve said that to me before.”

She punches him on the arm. “I mean I’m _in love_ with you, dipshit.”

He takes a deep breath, then says, “No, you’re not,” stepping away from her. Because she isn’t. He still remembers in vivid detail the argument after they’d slept together, the reason they had barely spoken in a month and a half. ( _He’d only asked for the waitress’ number. It wasn’t even a bad thing to do. It had started off like a joke, of course. But then, things were always going to be a bit tense, the first time hanging out just the two of them, after what had happened._

_“Would you leave that poor woman alone? She’s trying to do her job without sleazy lawyer types trying to get into her pants.”_

_“Oh yeah, David, because I’m the one who needs to keep it in my pants”_

_“I don’t know what that’s meant to imply, Gross. I thought you were a modern, feminist man.”_

_“I’m just saying, double standards.”_

_“Remind me of the last time I harassed innocent waitresses on the job.”_

_“That’s obviously not what I’m talking about.”_

_“Oh, please do elucidate.” When he said nothing her eyes had narrowed suddenly. “Wait, Ben, is this about me and Marcus kissing at the office party? Oh my god.” It was amazing how quickly she could go from teasing to fuming. A spark, always waiting to burst into flames._

_“It was pretty over the top.” It wasn’t. They’d been quite discrete, actually._

_“What the hell, Ben?! I can do what I want! Who gave you the right to be jealous?”_

_“I’m not jealous.”_

_“You are!”_

_“Why would I be jealous? Sorry for giving a tiny bit of a crap about how these things make you look.”_

_“You’re acting like you don’t give a crap about me at all! I don’t have to ask for your permission before I do things!”_

_“No? Maybe you should! Maybe then you wouldn’t make such stupid decisions!”_

_“I do not make stupid decisions!”_

_“Oh really?”_

_“No!”_

_“Why the fuck did you fuck me then!?”_

_She was silent for a beat, then “I knew that’s what this was about!”_

_“Whatever! That was a stupid decision, wasn’t it!?”_

_“What the hell else was I meant to do? You looking at me all sad, talking about your parents, and your exes, and your lonely nights, and how no-one would ever love you.”_

_And there it was. The sad, cold truth in a cruel, mocking tone. Devi had never actually wanted him. She had just pitied him. Devi just felt bad for him, because he was lonely. He’d known that, of course, deep down. But to hear her say it so frankly hurt more than any insult she’d ever hurled his way._

_He must’ve shown it on his face, because her anger softened slightly. “Wait. I didn’t mean it like that.”_

_“It’s ok David. I get it. You feel sorry for me. Well don’t worry, I won’t bring your mood down anymore.” He pulled out his chair and turned to go._

_“Ben, don’t leave! That is so immature. Ben just fucking listen for a second-” Ben didn’t hear anymore of what she said, he was out of the restaurant. In his Lyft home he tore up the napkin with the waitress’ number written on it into hundreds of tiny pieces and watched them flutter to the floor of the car._ ) So, “No, you’re not,” he says, and means it.

“I am. I’m in love with you.” And she looks so earnest that for a second he almost believes her.

“What do you want me to say to you?”

“You love me back.” She still has that intense, earnest look on her face.

Ben tears his gaze away. She’s not allowed to do this to him again. “I’m going home.”

She grabs him as he walks away and he whirls around. The people around them have started shouting, counting down to the new year, but he barely registers them. “I’m sorry, Devi, I know it’s New Years Eve, and I know you feel bad for me, and you think I’m lonely, but you just can’t show up here, tell me you love me and expect me to believe you. It doesn’t work like that!”

“Well how does it work!?” She looks more like herself now, angrier.

“I don’t know, but not like this.”

“Well how about this!” She’s blazing now, as beautiful as Ben has ever seen her, “I love that you think dhal is spicy! I love that you have a special box just for keeping your watches in! I love how high you raise your eyebrows when I say something you think is insane! I love that I never feel warmer than when I’m wearing that sweater you gave me, and I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night! And it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve, and it’s not because I think you’re lonely, I came here tonight because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible!”

Ben stares at her. It’s not fair. She’s standing there in her t-shirt and sweatpants, hair messy from running; there are girls in long dresses and shiny high-heels all around her, and she’s the only thing he can look at.

“You see, David, you are impossible.” Ben’s voice is shaking now, because she really said all that and there are no take backs, “you say things like that, and it makes it impossible for me to hate you. And I hate you.” He’s stepping towards her as he speaks, wrapping his arms around her. “I really hate you.” He whispers, so close he can see half formed tears in her eyes.

She kisses him, not soft like the other times she’s kissed him, but hard, desperate, fingertips clawing into his back. Like she wants him. He grips her tighter, feels her heart beating against his, pressed together. She softens and melts into him. As if they could get any closer.

Suddenly he pulls away. “What does this song mean? I’ve never in my whole life understood what this song means.” The rest of the room is singing. Auld Lang Syne. A weird tradition, definitely.

“You’re an idiot.” Devi says in the way only she can, hands still on his shoulders. She’s smiling so wide. “It’s saying goodbye to the old year.”

“That’s not what it _means_ , though,” he says. She scoffs, and Ben feels his face split into a wide grin, can feel tears pricking his own eyes, and his voice is thick with them when he speaks next. “Anyway, It’s about old friends.”

She kisses him again.


End file.
